East Murray Area School in Mindarie listed for sale five years after closure

1182 East Murray Area School Road, Mindarie. Pic: realcommercial.com.au

Buyers will need to put their thinking caps on to map out the future use of this former country school, which was known for operating in the middle of a field without phone and limited internet reception.

The State Government is selling off the abandoned East Murray Area School in Mindarie just five years after it was forced to close its doors due to dwindling student numbers.

According to official figures, the school experienced a 68 per cent drop over the five years to 2018, with just 13 students enrolled by the time the final bell rang.

A chance to renovate, develop or re-open the historic main school campus has now emerged, with expressions of interest sought from buyers looking to reinvigorate the 8.08ha property at 1182 East Murray Area School Rd.

1182 East Murray Area School Road, Mindarie. Pic: realcommercial.com.au

1182 East Murray Area School Road, Mindarie. Pic: realcommercial.com.au

1182 East Murray Area School Road, Mindarie. Pic: realcommercial.com.au

1182 East Murray Area School Road, Mindarie. Pic: realcommercial.com.au

Former EMAS student and selling agent Nathan Bolt, of Professionals Murray Bridge, said the property had been listed with a price guide of $500,000 to $600,000 – $110,000 below the Adelaide-wide median, according to PropTrack.

The sale encompasses more than 2000sq m of infrastructure, including classroom and sporting facilities, a playground and a swimming pool.

There is also a solid brick, three-bedroom residence, which has been well maintained.

“I’ve had all sorts of inquiries already coming in, including a family with a vision from Sydney who drove all the way down to have a look,” Mr Bolt said.

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“But we’ve also had interest from trucking companies, charities and plenty of locals wanting to have a look.

“There’s a lot of potential here.

“You could reopen it as a school, as a camp or even for religious purposes.

“All that matters to locals is that it will be used for something because at the moment, it’s like the kids just walked out.

“It’s quite eerie walking through there when it’s empty.”

The school was established in the 1960s through the amalgamation of several primary schools in the Mallee region.

It had the backing of former Karoonda East Murray Council mayor Douglas James Fullston OAM who served as the school’s first secretary-treasurer.

1182 East Murray Area School Road, Mindarie. Pic: realcommercial.com.au

1182 East Murray Area School Road, Mindarie. Pic: realcommercial.com.au

1182 East Murray Area School Road, Mindarie. Pic: realcommercial.com.au

1182 East Murray Area School Road, Mindarie. Pic: realcommercial.com.au

Over the decades, the school managed to make headlines on a number of occasions, including in 2002 when it ran out of drinking water for its students as a result of drought.

Meanwhile, in 2010, eyebrows were raised by city-dwellers when EMAS was deemed statistically similar to Adelaide’s prestigious St Peter’s Woodlands Grammar School, according to the State Government’s then newly launched MySchool website.

However, students proved their worth and determination to SA only a year later when managing to field a team in the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup in Melbourne – a significant feat considering the EMAS had no gymnasium or established volleyball court available for training at the time.

Mr Bolt said the closure of the school had left a mark on the region’s tight-knit farming community.

“The East Murray Tigers Football and Netball still meet at the clubrooms out there, even though they’ve long folded but there’s hope that whoever buys the school will let them continue leasing some of the facilities as all of their memorabilia is still out there,” he said.

“There’s a lot of history out there.

“A lot of families have strong connections to the school, including my own.

“I went there, my parents went there … and my grandmother used to drive one of the school buses.

“Students came from all over the place … but as more people sold up, student numbers dwindled and as a result the school is now up for sale.”

The property is a 30-minute drive from Karoonda, 45-minutes from Loxton and around two-hours from Adelaide.

Expression of interest closes on February 10.